On the Waterfront

Good, but not especially impressive. It's mostly the performances that make it decent. It's hard to watch this without considering the personal implications it had for Kazan. Also, the score is unbearably oppressive.

One of the worst musical scores of all time single-handedly manages to knock this one down from "great" to just "good" for me. Perhaps its greatest achievement is introducing a new, more naturalistic style of acting to Hollywood. The story is good, but it doesn't blow me away.

I know people are sick and tired of hearing this, but here it is: Marlon Brando is the shit. His performance is absolutely stellar, and Eva Marie Saint is smokin. But Lee J Cobb really stands out in this, I don't know if it is because I adore him in 12 Angry Men, but Cobb is the man. This is a terrific film, and ahead of its time, but Brando's on screen presence, and Kazan's directing are certainly the high points of this classic film.

The behaviour of director Kazan during the McCarthy period tends to put into even starker relief the questionable politics of this movie about union corruption. If the movie is intended as a defense of that behaviour, then in my view it fails. Although Brando's acting has been justly celebrated, the film is, in the end, a rather simplistic, melodramatic, and over-praised morality play.

The historic significance of this film stands entirely on the shoulders of Brando's stellar performance, which, though perhaps not the greatest of all-time, is certainly in the conversation. There are some other fine performances as well, notably Lee J. Cobb (who kicks ass in everything), but nothing else about this movie really screams greatness. It's still very good, though.